Collapsible pocket tool



May'18,194s. wasn@ 2,441,673

GOLLAPSIBLE POCKET TOOL Filed Nov. 23, 1946 INVENTOR.

@affix/ef ra?? Patented May 18, 1948 Werner G. Salg, Oak Park, Ill. Application November 23, 1946, Serial No. 712,031 l Claims.

l This invention relates to improvements in collapsible hand-tools and more particularly, pocket tools, such as knives, nail les and the like. kThe main object of the invention is toV provide a simple and enicient tool of the type aforesaid which may be embodied in a part o f another device, such as a pocket comb, equipped with a spring clip adapted to engage the upper edge portion of the exposed wall of the pocket which receives the tool and wherein a portion of said clip performs another function and the member which secures the clip in place constitutes also the pivot of a blade or the like which is rotatable through anv arc from the position wherein it is usable to a collapsed and housed position.

Another object of the. invention is to provide vthe blade of the structure with a formation which 'cooperates' with the bottom wall of the recess within which the blade is housed when in its col- `lapsed position, and with the said pivot thereof, i

to retain the blade firmly in its usable position ings, wherein:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation of' a comb, the back of which is equipped with a recess to receive the blade of the structure and is constructed in accordance with the invention.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged viewin end elevation, look-V ing at the right hand end of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the structure.

Fig. 4 is a central, vertical longitudinal sectional view of thesame showing the blade of the structure turned to the outer limit of its movement and showing in dotted lines the position of said blade when in use.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan sectional view, on an enlarged scale, taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 6--6 of Fig. 5.

In the instance illustrated, the back portion I of a comb 2, which constitutes the handle of the tool of this invention, is equipped midway between its side faces with a longitudinal recess 3 which extends through one end thereof and terminates at a point spaced from its other end.

The tool element 4 of the structure, in the instance illustrated, consists of a blade of suitable metal and provides a fingernail file surface 5 and a terminal 'fingernail cleaning formation 6, it

being obvious that said blade may be replaced by a conventional pocket knife blade and alsoY that the blade down may be equipped also with a lon'- g'itudinal cutting edge.

The Vdepth of the' recess 3 is slightly less than the width of the blade 4. Said blade 4- is equipped, preferable, with a straight edge 1 which, when the blade is disposed in position for use, as shownl in dotted lines in Fig. 4, bears upon the straight bottom wall of the recess 3.

The other edge 8 o-f the blade-4 is spaced norf mally very slightly from the straight bottom wall of the recess 3, when the blade 4 is positioned, as

shown in Fig. l, and projects along its said edge portion 8 from the recess 3.

Adjacent the inner end of the recess 3, thev side walls of the latter are provided with recesses 9 for` the passage of iinger tips into engaging relation to the blade 4 to effect its movement to the full line position of Fig. 4. v

Said blade 4 is equipped adjacent to its semicircular extremity I0 with a longitudinal slot Il which extends slightly angularly to said blade edge 1 from the end of the slot II which is arcuately concentric with said endv I0 of thewbla'de toward the pointed end of the latter.

The angle at which said slot II extends to the blade edge 1 is preferably about ten degrees, more or less.

A resilient metal clip comprising two arms I2 and I3 is secured to one side face of the member I by means of a rivet I4 which extends through both side walls of the recess 3 at a point spaced from the open end of said recess and through the slot Il of the blade 4 and at an elevation'above the-opposed bottom wall ofthe recess 3 such distance that when the blade 4 isl disposed at the 'outer limit of its movement, as shown in Fig. 4,

the meeting point of the blade edge 1 with the semi-circular end I0 of the blade will be spaced slightly from the bottom wall of `said recess 3,

and when the blade 4 is in said full line position .wedge the blade firmly against the latter throughout an appreciable portion of its length.

The arm l2 of the clip, which is secured to the member by the rivet I4 is equipped at its extremity with a formation I5 which is equipped with an arcuate convex surface I6 disposed at the outer end of the iiange I'I of said arm I2.

The wall of the member I to which said arm I2 is secured, is provided with an opening through which said flange I1 and the formation I5 thereof projects, the said arcuate surface I6 of the formation I being disposed normally and yieldingly in the path of the blade 4 and is moved outwardly against the spring action of said arm I2 by the edge 'l of the blade 4 as the latter is swung to the position of Fig. l, the said arcuate surface portion I6 being thus caused to spring into the other end portion of the slot II of th'e blade 4 as the latter attains the position of Fig. 1.

When in its last-named position, the rivet or pivot element I4 of the blade 4 will be disposed in the same end portion of the slot II as shown in Fig. 4, the length of said slot II being such that when the arcuate convex formation is engaged in said slot, the blade 471s held yieldingly against movement toward the open end of the recess 3 of the member I as well as against pivotal movement.

The blade 4 is provided with ngernail receiving recesses I8 and the arm I3 of the clip is is equipped with a semi-spherical formation IS, the convexy surface of which bears normally yieldingly against the member I.

I claim as my invention:

l. A pocket tool comprising a handle member equipped with a blade receiving recess open at fone end and with an opening through a side wall of the latter, 'a resilient pocket wall engaging clip comprising an outer and an inner arm, the latter equipped with a terminal L-shaped ange projecting through said opening, a rivet passing through said handle member and spanningsaid recess adjacent one end thereof and securing said inner arm of said clip to said member, a blade equipped adjacent one end thereof with a longitudinal slot through which said rivet extends and consti-tutes a pivot for `said bladeV when the .latter is disposed at the outer limit of its movel posed at the inner vlimit of its movement.

3. A pocket tool comprising a handle member equipped with a blade receiving recess open at one en d and with an opening through a side wall of the latter, a resilient pocket wall engagvterminal end portion upon said handle, a blade equipped adjacent one end thereof with a longitudinal slot through which said rivet extends and constitutes a pivot for said blade when the latter is disposed at the outer limit of its movement relative to said member, said pivot and slot bemg positioned relative to the bottom wall of said recess to cause said blade to be non-rotatable when moved longitudinally inwardly from said outer limit of its movement, said L-shaped iiange being equipped with a convex surface portion projecting into said handle recess into the path of said blade and engages in the slot thereof when the same is disposed at the inner limit of its movement.

4. A pocket tool comprising a handle member equipped with a blade receiving recess having a substantially straight bottom wall and being open at one end, a resilient member mounted upon a wall of the said member and equipped with a terminal L-shaped ilange projecting into an opening in a wall of said recess, a blade equipped with a semi-circular end and with a longitudinal slotl adjacent-the latter with one end disposed concentric with said semi-circular end, -a rivet passing through the said resilient member adjacent its other end and through said handle member and the slot of said blade to secure said resilient member rigidly and said blade pivotally to said handle member, said blade being movable inwardly longitudinally from the outer limit of its pivotal movement to a position wherein said blade is held against pivotal movement, the innermost end portion of said L-shaped iiange being equipped with a, convex surface projecting said recess and into the slot of said blade when the latter. is turned to the inner limit of its pivotal movement.

5. A structuraaccording to claim 4, wherein the'said blade is equipped with a straight edge disposed substantially parallel with the bottom wall of `said recess when said blade is turned to the'outer limit of its movement and wherein the slot of said blade is disposed angularly to said straight edge for causing the-latter to bear upon the bottom wall of said recess when the same is moved longitudinally inwardly from the outer limit of its movement.

WERNER. G, SALG. 

